ged in Britannula!
Because a young boy had fallen in love with a pretty girl, the whole
wealth of England was to be used for a most nefarious purpose, and a
great nation was to exercise its tyranny over a small one, in which
her own language was spoken and her own customs followed! In every
way England had had reason to be proud of her youngest child. We
Britannulans had become noted for intellect, morals, health, and
prosperity. We had advanced a step upwards, and had adopted the Fixed
Period. Then, at the instance of this lad, a leviathan of war was
to be sent out to crush us unless we would consent to put down the
cherished conviction of our hearts! As I thought of all, walking
down the street hanging on Jack's arm, I had to ask myself whether
the Fixed Period was the cherished conviction of our hearts. It was
so of some, no doubt; and I had been able, by the intensity of my
will,--and something, too, by the covetousness and hurry of the
younger men,--to cause my wishes to prevail in the community. I did
not find that I had reconciled myself to the use of this covetousness
with the object of achieving a purpose which I believed to be
thoroughly good. But the heartfelt conviction had not been strong
with the people. I was forced to confess as much. Had it indeed been
really strong with any but myself? Was I not in the position of a
shepherd driving sheep into a pasture which was distasteful to them?
Eat, O sheep, and you will love the food in good time,--you or the
lambs that are coming after you! What sheep will go into unsavoury
pastures, with no hopes but such as these held out to them? And yet I
had been right. The pasture had been the best which the ingenuity of
man had found for the maintenance of sheep.

"Jack," said I, "what a poor, stupid, lovelorn boy you are!"

"I daresay I am," said Jack, meekly.

"You put the kisses of a pretty girl, who may perhaps make you a good
wife,--and, again, may make you a bad one,--against all the world in
arms."

"I am quite sure about that," said Jack.

"Sure about what?"

"That there is not a fellow in all Britannula will have such a wife
as Eva."

"That means that you are in love. And because you are in love, you
are to throw over--not merely your father, because in such an affair
that goes for nothing--"

"Oh, but it does; I have thought so much about it."

"I'm much obliged to you. But you are to put yourself in opposition
to the greatest movement made on beha